Skin Itches and I am the Only One Affected

by Julie Hetrick
(Oksaloosa, Iowa, USA)

Reader Question: It starts out as bites on the fore arms, which in turn itches, to the point that I am afraid that I will draw blood. The itch sensation then moves to the knees area, and the lower legs, not all at the same time.

Itching can start every night. thought maybe spider bites. The weather out side is warming up but the bites are only at night and not just the lower ankle area.

I looked over the bed and found no bed bugs, and have had the mattress for many years, and no problem, with bed bugs. When moving the bed today, I found a small bug but can be seen with the naked eye. It was dead, but still, one little bug was causing me to go crazy.

So I am hoping someone can assist me in figuring out what this little bug is, or the cause of the bites.

Suggestion from our Editor

Hi Julie,

Here are a few thoughts that might be able to help with your skin itch problem.

Insect bite skin reaction and the related itch is due to an allergic reaction. Like other allergies, some people are allergic, some people are not. This explains why two people living in the same home can either show no skin irritation to an allergic response that includes skin irritation and itch.

The next challenge is to determine the cause. Non-insect based causes can be as simple as a new laundry detergent. Since you caught an insect, have it identified to determine if it is a bed or other insect that could cause an allergic reaction in people.

The easiest way to do this is to bring in an exterminator to see the insect and to provide an estimate for extermination. You can find an exterminator on our list of local providers here or call Home Advisor at 866-214-8380. We suggest a national network since they certify members.

Since you only found one insect and no other signs such as fecal stains on the mattress, the odds are you do not have a bed bug infestation.

We do not recommend do it yourself methods for treating bed bugs in cases where there are large infestations. In all cases, if you can afford an exterminator, this is the best approach. If the infestation is small, you could try a bed bug kit would be a lower cost approach.